


One for the way, I'm gonna take

by MrSunshine



Series: Mixtape [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angst, Chan being a mom, Coming Out, Fighting, Forced coming out, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, minsung - Freeform, staged affair, there's some Woochan at the end if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-11 20:52:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17454113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrSunshine/pseuds/MrSunshine
Summary: Panic set in when Minho saw it. Photos of him. Photos that he was so sure he had deleted long ago. Photos of him no one should have seen. Photos of him - and his ex-boyfriend. Kissing. Cuddling. Sleeping together. Nothing too intimate but still enough for everyone to know what was going on. Someone had gotten ahold of these photos and had outed him. Publicly, for all the world to see.-----When leaked photos of Minho out him against his will it puts not only Stray Kids at risk but also the bond the members had formed with each other.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [McAlpha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/McAlpha/gifts).



Stray Kids was everything Minho had ever wished for.

Nine friends forming a group, becoming a family and then finally debuting together. He had worked hard for that dream to come true, especially after he had been eliminated, even harder now that he had gotten a second chance with Felix.

Now their first year as rookies was over and they had a bit of free time to spend. But instead of resting, here he was. Alone in the practice room, music blasting through the speakers, dancing.

He only stopped when his phone started ringing. Panting he got his phone, checking who was interrupting his practice time.

Chan.

"Channie-hyung?"

"Where are you? Are you alright?", Chan asked with a serious tone.

"Practicing. Why? Did something happen?"

Chan went silent for a minute. 

"You haven't checked your phone, have you? Stay where you are. I'm on my way."

Confused, Minho hung up and stared at his phone. 

Something had happened. 

He had several missed calls and even more unread messages. This couldn’t be good.

Nervously he opened one of the unread chats with photos attached. And all of a sudden everything went silent.

Panic set in when he saw it. Photos of him. Photos that he was so sure he had deleted long ago. Photos of him no one should have seen. Photos of him - and his ex-boyfriend. Kissing. Cuddling. Sleeping together. Nothing too intimate but still enough for everyone to know what was going on. Someone had gotten ahold of these photos and had outed him. Publicly, for all the world to see.

Wordlessly he stared at his phone. He didn't know what to do. JYP would eventually kick him out, get rid of him over this scandal. Everyone would know. He wouldn't be able to set foot in this industry again. This was social suicide.

Minho felt tears dwelling in his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. He didn't know how long he had been standing there, barely noticing the door being opened and shutting close again.

Chan pressed him close to his chest like he was trying to protect him from the world outside. 

And suddenly it wasn't silent anymore. 

The sounds, voices and music around him came crashing back and he broke down, screaming and crying in his leader's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading the prologue! I hope you liked it uvu
> 
> This is my first fanfiction in years that I've finished and I'm really proud of it. I had this idea in mind for quite a while and finally managed to write it down. I wasn't sure at the beginning if I want to publish it but the closer I got to the end the more I wanted to.
> 
> Since I'm done writing I'm going to update every Friday! 
> 
> Also a big thank you to @NogitsuneStiles for beta-reading this whole thing uvu
> 
> \+ this is a gift for my friend who introduced me to SKZ uvu


	2. 1

Minho didn't know how he got back to the dorm. He only remembered Chan and Woojin escorting him back, hidden from paparazzi, fans and the management.

Now he was sitting on Changbin's bed, leaning onto Woojin and waiting for Chan to return. 

He hadn't seen anyone since they were back and fairly, he didn't want to see anyone, even though Woojin was still reassuring him that everyone would be okay with _it_.

Him being gay.

Minho had known he was gay for a long time now. It took a while until he managed to accept it himself but with the help of his parents he was able to, eventually. 

His parents... 

He didn't want to know what they were going through now. They had always been supporting and accepting of who he was, but having to see how the media was treating the issue now wasn't fair to them. He knew Chan had talked to them on the phone while on the way back to the dorm, reassuring them they would take care of him, and protect him.

If he wasn't so tired it would bring a little smile on his face. His real parents couldn't care for him right now. So his other parents did. 

Minho leaned more onto Woojin and sighed. 

They, too, had known already.

He had told Chan that he was gay on the same evening it was announced that they would debut as nine. And Chan had told Woojin; Chan always talked to Woojin when something troubled him or when he needed advice. Woojin hadn't been anything but supportive. He and Minho had had long talks when they had their bedroom to themselves, Minho had even told him about his ex-boyfriend.

They hadn't dated for long, only about four months until they broke up. Minho had really liked him, but with their futures planned out it didn't work, so they ended it before it hurt too much. Though short, it had been a great time that Minho had enjoyed a lot. Sometimes he had missed him, especially when he felt alone, but then Chan had introduced him to someone else before their survival show. And for Minho it had been love at first sight.

Minho and Woojin sat in silence for a while until Chan came back. He looked tired.

"Changbin is okay with switching dorms. He's getting his stuff later and I'll get yours, Minho.", Chan said while sitting down next to him. Minho nodded.

"Either Woojin or I will talk to the others about it later. But I'm sure they won't have a problem with it. It doesn't change who you are." Chan was smiling at him. Even if it was a sad smile. Minho couldn't reciprocate it.

"What about JYP?", Minho eventually asked, his voice hoarse from all the crying.

"We'll see about that tomorrow. We won't let him near you today. Also... He knows how it is. Nine or none.", Woojin answered looking at Chan. It seemed that he had already made a decision.

"He's right.", Chan confirmed. "Nine or none. If they throw you out we're coming with you. We won't let you down again and we won't give up on you. You're part of this family, Minho. It doesn't matter what anyone else says about it." 

Minho shook his head. "I don't want to ruin this for you. You worked so hard. And all it takes are these stupid photos that I thought I had deleted years ago!" He was sobbing again. "I can't stay with you! It will only get worse. People will avoid us. Producers. Our fans. Everyone will avoid us because of me. I can't do this to you!"

"Minho-ah, listen to me! It doesn't matter to us. If they avoid us, so be it! It doesn't matter what they say. You are a part of us and nothing will change that! Nothing, do you hear me? If producers avoid us we will completely produce our music ourselves. If our fans avoid us then they don't deserve us. We have enough Stays that support you, and us. Felix checked our social medias. Yes, there are people calling for you to quit the group. But behind every critic's voice there are a bunch of Stays supporting us! Telling you not to quit. Telling you to stay, and promising to always stay with us, especially now! We can do this. We can survive this. We're a team and will always be. Okay?"

Minho looked at Chan, holding his hands while he spoke. He nodded, even though he didn’t have much hope that this would turn out well for them. How should they, rookies in the industry, find a new company? Or build their own? They didn't have the money and definitely not enough support for it to work.

A sudden knock on the door stopped his train of thoughts. He looked up as Changbin opened the door, but quickly looked away again when he saw his worried look. He must have looked miserable.

"I wanted to get my stuff... Felix already packed Minho's and gave it to me...", he explained and entered the room. He packed up his things quickly and after a reassuring shoulder pad to Minho he was gone again.

"Relax, Minho... I'll go talk to them and Chan will stay with you. You are not alone. We're here for you.", Woojin smiled and hugged him. "We got this. We're a team. And now try to get rest."

"Thank you...", Minho whispered and then he and Chan were alone again.

He didn't sleep in his bed that night. Chan had made room for both of them in his, and he was thankful that he had his hyung by his side. Every time he woke up again, Chan was there, pressing him closer and whispering that it would be okay.

If only he could believe him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd update every Friday but oops?
> 
> My wonderful gf was so fast with beta-reading this chapter that I didn't want to wait any longer with the update :)  
> Idk if I keep up with every Friday or maybe Tuesdays and Fridays but I'm trying to update at least once a week. That's also more doable with our schedules.
> 
> I hope you liked the chapter! Thank you so much for reading ♥


	3. 2

The next morning came far too quickly in Minho's opinion. He knew he had to face the other members today. Woojin had probably told them everything yesterday. He didn't feel ready though. 

Chan was already awake next to him, typing on his phone, when he woke up.

"Hey, mate. How are you feeling?", he asked.

"Like I got run over by a dozen trucks...", Minho answered honestly. His head hurt from crying yesterday and the last night, and his face was probably all puffy and red thanks to it.

"Yeah... you look absolutely terrible, to be honest. Take your time, though. Doesn't seem like anyone's awake yet."

This made Minho laugh a little. He definitely looked like how he felt. Like shit. At least Chan made him feel somewhat better. Yet, there were still a lot of problems he had to face.

"We'll figure this out, Minho-ah. Everything will be okay. We'll deal with JYP.", Chan finally said.

"And the group..."

"And the group, but honestly, they won't have a problem with that. And if anyone does, they have to go through me first." Chan smiled at him. " We all love you just as you are. Knowing you’re gay won't change anything. It didn't when you told me and when Woojin found out, right?"

"You mean when you told Woojin." Minho couldn't suppress a light chuckle.

"Yah... you know, he kinda figured it out himself. He knew something worried me and he didn't stop asking questions until he knew what was up. See! It didn't change anything! We still love you to death!”, Chan chuckled.

Minho smiled. 

Yes, they did. 

Else he wouldn't be here right now. 

He pulled the covers higher and hid his face on Chan's side. 

"Thank you, hyung..."

"No need to thank me yet. Unfortunately, the worst is still to come, but you don't have to face it alone. We can make it. But we’ll deal with the group first. They are more important than JYP."

"They are, indeed..."

It took them another hour to finally get up. Minho grabbed some of his stuff and went to the bathroom. He desperately needed to take a shower. He forgot about it yesterday due to everything that had happened and he hoped he would feel better afterwards.

The hot water felt good on his skin and he was able to relax a bit. With his eyes closed he stood under the hot water, letting his thoughts run freely and bracing himself for facing the others. 

Would Chan and Woojin be right? Would they really not have a problem with him being gay? Would everything stay the same? The cuddles? How close they were? 

Or would everything take a turn in the other direction and they’d want him to leave? Want him to quit the group? And wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore? 

He knew he wouldn't be able to handle this reaction. He couldn't handle just the thought of them hating him. Not talking to him anymore. It was too unbearable to imagine. 

Tears formed in his eyes again, and he surely would have started crying if the loud opening of the door and that high pitched shriek wouldn't have interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh god! I'm so sorry, hyung! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I didn't know you were in here. Sorry!" And the door closed again with a loud bang.

Jisung.

Luckily Minho's face was already red from the hot water as he felt the heat of embarrassment rise to his cheeks. It by far not the first time this had happened. Jisung had walked in on him showering or getting ready a few times before. When would he finally learn to knock before entering? 

"Probably never.", Minho sighed and turned off the water.

He quickly toweled himself down, brushed his teeth and got dressed. He was ready to face his group members. 

Yet, before he could enter the dining room, all of his courage abruptly left him. 

He stopped in his tracks, panic setting in again. 

He could hear them. Everyone was ready for breakfast. They were only waiting for him. 

He couldn't do this. 

He couldn't handle walking into the room and having everyone look at him expectantly. Waiting for him to say something.

He turned around quickly and ran back to the room he was now sharing with Chan. Tears were streaming down his cheeks when he closed the door and hid under his blanket that was still lying on Chan's bed. 

He wasn't ready and he'd never be. This was impossible. He ruined everything with who he was. 

Why had it to be him? 

Why did he have to be gay?

Through his sobs he heard the door being opened. 

"Minho-ah..." 

He felt the mattress sink down when Chan sat down next to him. He had probably heard him running back into the bedroom.

"It's okay... you don't have to be afraid...", Chan whispered, brushing through his still wet hair. 

It didn't take long and Minho found himself pressed to Chan's chest again, clinging to him and silently crying and sobbing.

"I can't do this...! I can't!", Minho cried, shaking his head. He was far too afraid of the consequences. He was sure that he was going to lose them all. And... especially him. 

He couldn't lose _him_.

"You can, Minho. I know you can do it. And we'll help you. All of us."

"No...", Minho was sobbing again. "I can't... you don't understand..." 

Chan stayed silent. It took Minho a while to speak again, to muster the courage to tell him.

"Channie-hyung... I like someone from the group... like... _like_ like them...", he finally said.

"From the group...?", Chan asked hesitantly.

"Yeah..."

Chan was looking at him now, but Minho couldn't muster the courage to meet his eyes.

"Oh Minho-ah..." Chan sighed. 

At least Minho could now spare them the stress of trying to keep him in the group, he thought. It had to be easier to let him go now.

"Are you going to tell me who it is?", the elder continued after a while.

"No... But don't worry... it's not you. He's... He's younger than me...", Minho admitted, sobbing again. It hurt. So much more than he’d thought.

Chan wanted to say something right when the door opened again. 

"We'll talk later...", he whispered so that only Minho could hear it. 

Woojin sat down right next to them and put his arms around them. And slowly, one by one, Minho felt another pair of arms hug them tight until eventually all nine of them were squeezed on Chan's bed.

"We still love you, Minho-hyung.", Minho heard Felix whisper.

"We don't judge you. You're still you and we love you for who you are.", I.N added.

"And we will never let you go through this alone. We're a team. We're a family. We’ve got your back, hyung.", Changbin said.

"We'll always be by your side, hyung! You're stuck with us forever. We'll do this together." Jisung paused briefly. "Also sorry for walking in on you showering earlier..."

"That happened again?! Really, Jisungie?!" Minho could almost hear Hyunjin roll his eyes.

"It was an accident! I didn't hear the shower running!"

"It's always an accident for you! You could knock before you enter the room, you know!", Hyunjin answered. "This happens far too often!"

"So often, Jisungie-hyung probably walks in on purpose!", Seungmin laughed.

"Shut up, Seungminnie!"

Everyone started babbling and laughing, and even Minho couldn't hide his smile for long. Chan and Woojin had been right. The others didn't have a problem with it. They didn't abandon him, they were still by his side and they still loved him.

It truly took a small weight off his heart. 

However, the biggest encounter was yet to be faced, and Minho had never been more afraid in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we know that the boys are fine with everything! But what will JYP say?
> 
> Next Chapter will be up next week :)
> 
> I got a bit of free time at work rn so why why not upload the new chapter? ;)  
> I hope you liked it so far ♥  
> thank you so much for reading and see you next week ♥


	4. 3

"Someone from the group, you said?" 

Chan was lying on his back and looking at the ceiling while Minho was on his side, facing him. They shared the bed again that night.

"Yeah..."

"And you're not going to tell me who it is...", Chan chuckled. "For how long have you liked him?"

"Since you introduced me to him."

"Love at first sight.”, Chan sighed, “How romantic."

He turned around and was now facing Minho. 

He smiled.

"Listen... I don't have a problem with it. There is nothing I can do to stop your feelings, anyways. I know how it can be. We don't choose who we like. Just be careful... don't hurt yourself too much. If you ever need to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

Minho nodded. 

"Thank you, hyung. It's not like I have much to hope for. I doubt he's... like me, you know?", he smiled a bit. "At least nothing seems to change between all of us in the group for now..."

The day had gone by pretty normally. 

Of course everyone had been curious about Minho's sexuality and his ex-boyfriend and how his parents felt about it. Some questions were a bit more personal and intimate, some just pure curiosity. It had felt good to talk about it, though; to be able to be who he was in front of his second family and to embrace who he was.

Indeed, nothing had changed. The others had still been cuddly with him, enduring his teasing as usual. It had taken a lot of pressure off of him.

Chan was still facing him, looking at him, but he was far away in his thoughts. 

Suddenly, he turned on his back and looked at the ceiling again.

"You never know. I'm pretty sure one or two are at least curious. Bi-curious, I mean.", he finally said.

"You think so?"

Chan shrugged.

"I am. That's why I also asked if you're telling me who you like. You didn't, which is more than okay, but I still know we're not curious about the same guy."

Minho stared at Chan in shock. 

Did he just confess to him? 

Did he really just tell him who he liked? 

The smirk on Chan’s lips and the red on his cheeks were definitely proof that Minho wasn’t just making this up.

"Oh my god! You mean... really??"

Chan shrugged again. 

"Yeah. Nothing as serious as you, but... I like him. He's nice, and I wouldn't mind to find out how it feels if there was more. But I'm also fine with how things are right now.", Chan said and looked at him, smiling honestly.

Minho was still speechless, though. He had never expected this or had even considered it in the slightest. Chan, confessing to him who he liked so nonchalantly, and that he wasn't as heterosexual as he had always believed.

"Hyung... does anyone know about this? Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. There never was a reason to tell anyone. Like I said, it's fine how it is.", the leader chuckled. "Don't worry about me too much, yeah? You're more important right now and we should focus on tomorrow."

Tomorrow. 

Minho knew the meeting with JYP was inevitable. Yet, not knowing how it would turn out made him anxious; and he knew Chan was anxious, too. 

How would JYP react? 

Would they even be able to compromise with him? 

Would he be able to stay with the group?

"We should go to sleep, Minho. It's going to be a tough day tomorrow..."

\----

Minho sleepily opened his eyes when the alarm went off the next morning. He felt like he'd been run over by a truck again. It had been hard to fall asleep with all the worries in his head, and he’d probably gotten two hours of sleep at best.  
It was at least more than Chan had slept. Every time he had woken up or laid awake he could hear Chan being awake too, typing on his phone, or playing games.

"Morning.", Chan greeted him when he sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked even more tired than yesterday.

"Morning... did you actually get any sleep tonight?" 

He watched Chan think about it while counting on his fingers.

"Hm. About an hour? Not that much, I guess."

Minho shook his head. They both looked like shit. Then again, maybe it would make JYP feel sorry for them.

They both got up, showered and got dressed, and prepared breakfast for the whole group. 

Their appointment with JYP wasn't for another hour. It was the first thing on their agenda this morning, and they had promised the others to meet them directly afterwards in the practice room.

After unsuccessfully trying to eat a bit to calm his nerves and stomach, Minho gave up. He wasn't hungry at all and he just wanted to get it over with. Chan seemed to feel the same way

"You ready?"

"I'll never be ready for this, hyung. But let's go. I can't avoid it, anyway."

\---

1 1/2 hours later Minho felt most of the tension finally leave his body.

"What do you think about it?", Chan asked on the way to the cafeteria to grab some coffee, before they’d meet the others in the practice room.

"To be honest? I don't know.", he shrugged. 

The talk with JYP and their manager had been better than he had though; however, he wasn't so sure he liked the outcome. Even if it saved their careers and would make everything a lot easier.

He opened the door to the practice room, which instantly grew silent. 

The rest of the group look at them expectantly.

"How did it go?", Changbin eventually asked.

"Better than expected. The company will handle the scandal as usual.", Chan answered while sitting down.

"As usual?" Hyunjin looked confused and somehow unsatisfied. It nearly seemed like they had expected to hear something else.

"Yes. JYP will release a dementi this afternoon, stating that the photos are fake and that the rumours are false.", Minho finally said. "They will minimize the scandal as much as possible and then they will stage an affair with me and another female idol, model or actress. Soon nobody will talk about it anymore.", he explained further while looking into his group members’ speechless and shocked faces.

Yes, they _definitely_ had expected a different outcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope no one thought everything would go smoothly ;)
> 
> Also I added some new tags :)
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


	5. 4

"An affair?”, Jisung finally asked after what had felt like hours. "Wow." 

If Minho had to describe how Jisung was looking at him at this moment right now, it was a mixture of anger and disgust. 

Little did he know that these were the last words Jisung would speak to him for a while.

"It's the easiest way out. And the least harmful for the group.”, he answered.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You know you have to hide forever." There was worry in Woojin's eyes.

"Like I said, it's the easiest way... not the best... I will manage. The group is more important. JYP said that sales already dropped. And we're still rookies." He looked at Chan. He didn't like this solution that much, he had even told JYP that this was utter bullshit, but it wouldn't threaten their career. And for Minho, that was the most important thing right now.

"If that's what you want... we'll have your back, hyung.", Changbin patted his shoulder, "Ready to practice again? I'm sure you're already rusty after staying in bed for two whole days!"

"You'd wish!"

At first, the atmosphere was still a bit tense, but it only took a few songs for them to be their usual selves again. Everyone, except for Jisung.

He wasn't his normal bubbly and happy self for the rest of the day anymore. Minho felt guilt creep up inside of him.

Was it all because of him? Because he wouldn't out himself? Because of the affair? Or was there more to it?

When practice was over he looked at Jisung, watched him pack up his things. 

He hadn't spoken to him in the last hours and avoided every direct contact. 

Minho sighed. 

Maybe he was going to be in a better mood again tomorrow.

\----

He wasn’t.

Jisung didn't talk to him the next day, and the day after that. 

Minho wasn't used to that. Usually they would spend a lot of time together, but now he was sure Jisung was avoiding him.

Every time he tried to speak to him, initiated small talk or asked him something, his reactions and answers were short, usually one worded, and then he left the room. Minho felt bad. He didn't know what exactly he had done wrong, but he also didn't get the chance to ask. It was nerve-wracking.

And it didn't seem to get any better. 

The closer the day came that he was going to meet his affair, the less he saw of Jisung. He was obviously avoiding him now. It hurt. A lot. And by now, everyone could see it, too.

It hurt Minho even more to see him talking and laughing with the others and growing silent as soon as he entered the room or came closer. It hurt him so much that he was glad that he now had a reason to leave the dorm from time to time and didn't have to deal with it.

He had met his noona, who was going to be his supposed affair, about a week after JYP's statement. She was a year older than him and an actress at the company. They had instantly clicked.  
They had been a bit shy around each other at the beginning but soon they had become friends. He was able to talk to her about everything, his feelings and sexuality and she understood and helped him as much as she could. 

They went out for coffee or dinner a lot, probably a lot more than necessary, and it didn't take long for the media to catch up. They even made a headline out of his leaked pictures again. Minho laughed when he read the article, claiming how an ex-girlfriend had faked these photos to prevent him from dating his noona. They were so close, and yet so far from the truth. It wasn't an ex-girlfriend and there was nothing to prevent.

After another dinner night he hugged her tight, whispering thank yous that only she was able to hear. He knew paparazzi were near and since this was the closest they ever got until now it would definitely be online in less than an hour.

"Thank you, noona... see you soon.", he smiled, waited until she was inside the building and headed home. 

He knew this was also pushing her career just a bit and that she got her fair share of benefits.

It was advantageous for both of them.

\----

When he got back home Minho could hear the group laughing and talking in the living room. He didn't understand every word but Jisung seemed to tell a funny story. However, he instantly stopped talking when Minho entered room.

Minho got frustrated and annoyed straightaway. Jisung seemed to be ready to leave as soon as he would open his mouth.

"Yeah…so, I'm back. Goodnight.", Minho sighed and headed straight to his bedroom. 

There was so much he had wanted to say to him, but he didn't want to make it any worse than it already was and make the other members more uncomfortable.

It didn't take long until the bedroom door opened again and Chan entered.

"It can't go on like this, Minho...", he said seriously, but Minho heard worry in his voice as well.

Minho put his book aside and looked at Chan expectantly.

"You guys need to talk. Seriously. This is starting to affect all of us. The whole dorm feels uncomfortable as soon as you and Jisung are in the same room!"

"And why is this my fault again? Hyung, I tried! I tried to talk to him, interact with him and whatnot. But he keeps brushing me off or avoiding me! I don't know what to do anymore, Chan! And it hurts!" 

Tears started to dwell in Minho's eyes.

"Do you know how much it hurts to see how happy and normal he is with everyone except for me?! How his expression changes as soon as I enter the room? And not knowing why? I don't know if it's because I'm gay or because I'm not coming out or because of the fake dating. And I hate it! I wish I'd never taken the photos with my ex! I wish I wasn't gay! That nothing of this had ever happened! I know, Chan! I know it's my fault that the group is falling apart! And that's exactly what I wanted to avoid! Why I agreed to fake-dating noona! Why I agreed to stay in the closet even though it's making me hate myself more every day! I wanted to avoid it! And now it's happening and I can't do anything!" 

He was sobbing by now, tears streaming down his face that he tried to brush away to no avail.

Minho looked away and closed his eyes. He couldn't stand Chan looking at him like this.

"I'm sorry, hyung...", he whispered, knew it wasn't fair that he had let everything out on his leader. He knew that Chan was just as lost and helpless as he was.

"It's him...", Chan replied softly.

"What?" Minho looked up again.

"It's him. You're in love with Jisung."

Minho lowered his head again and nodded slowly. It was obvious by now so why should he try to hide it?

Chan sat down next to him and put his arms around him.

"I'll try, hyung. I'll try to talk to him again. But I can't promise you anything. I don't know how he's going to react..."

Chan nodded. 

"I'll help you as much as I can. I'll talk to him too. It will get better. You’ll see"

\----

Minho was the first one to be up the next morning. Or so he thought. He had wanted to prepare breakfast for everyone and lunch for those who had to go to school today.

He had nearly had a heart attack when he found someone sitting in the dark living room. Instantly, he turned on the lights.

Jisung.

"Fuck, you scared me!", he sighed in relief. Jisung didn't answer, and Minho wasn’t even sure if he had acknowledged his presence.

"I going to make breakfast, you want something too?", Minho tried again.

Jisung shook his head. "No." He got up, but this time Minho stopped him before he could leave.

"What’s your problem with me? You've been avoiding me ever since Chan and I talked to JYP. What did I do?", Minho demanded, looking him straight in the eyes. He hadn’t planned on talking to him so soon, but this was probably the only chance he got to talk to him in private.

Jisung looked back at him slightly annoyed. "Think. You should know why.", he deadpanned.

"Is it because of noona?"

"Think again."

"Is it because I'm not coming out publicly?"

"Wow. You got it."

"Jisung, you know why I'm not coming out! This would not only ruin my career, but yours as well! I don't want to be the reason why everyone's dream goes down the chute!", he replied in frustration; he didn't know if Jisung didn't understand or didn't want to.

"We know JYP would've had your back! That even he would've supported you and made it work! Chan told us! But you wanted the easy way out, Minho!"

Jisung was glaring at him now.

"That's why I'm pissed! And that's why I'm not talking to you! Because I knew it would end like this! Do you know what chance you've gotten?! You had a one in a lifetime chance and you gave it away! Instead you're acting like a spoilt and ungrateful brat! Do you know how much this might have changed in the industry? That it would've been a start?! Having an openly gay idol that is being supported by his company, band members and fans?!"

Jisung scoffed. 

"Do you know how many people are not buying this dating story? That know how the industry works, and that are sure that this is only to deceive the public? It's throwing you and every other non-heterosexual person in this industry so many steps back! And that's the wrong way to go about it, Minho! And what did you do? You willingly agreed to it! That’s what you did! And that is why I can't stand being in your presence right now and why I why I want nothing to do with you!"

He was shaking with rage.

Minho was speechless. He hadn't expected Jisung to explode like this.

"I... I didn't want to... put Stray Kids at risk..."

Jisung shook his head in disbelief. 

"You still don't get it."

He sounded a lot calmer now, almost sad; and with that he left, leaving Minho standing there alone.

It took Minho another minute to gather himself again. 

Then he quickly returned to his room, threw some stuff in his duffel bag and bolted out of the dorm, past Chan who was standing in the hallway. He had probably heard most of it.

Minho ran all the way to the train station. Hopefully, it would look like he was late for the train that he needed to catch, but in reality he just couldn't stay any longer in that dorm, near the others.

And right now he didn't even know if he wanted to ever come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My gf said I'm not allowed to add the tag "Jisung stop making Minho's life hard you should be making his dick hard" but whelp this is exactly what's happening /shrug
> 
> In the next chapter we'll have some Soonie and Doongie so stay tuned <3
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> (I also may or may not have started to write a sequel to this with the other OTP (read: Woochan))


	6. 5

To Minho’s own surprise he'd still gotten on the train just seconds before the doors were about to close and had immediately texted his parents to let them know he would arrive two hours earlier than expected.

As soon as he arrived at home he broke down crying again. His mother just held him, whispering soothing words into his ear, trying to comfort him. He told his parents about everything. His feelings for Jisung, his fight with him this very morning and how lost he now felt. He didn't know what to do.

Jisung hated him, it was obvious. And the others had to be so disappointed. He hadn’t even said goodbye to them.

The worst was that he had seen the look on Chan's face before he had run out. 

He knew their leader would be trying to do damage control now. Would burden himself with more guilt, about how he hadn't talked Minho out of this affair plan (he had tried), and would take over all the responsibilities for what was happening even though these were Minho's to bear.

Again, the thought crossed his mind that it would be the best if he left the group. 

He'd save Chan a lot of stress and trouble. The problem was: he didn't want to. He had worked hard to be an idol and he didn't want to just throw it away like that.

It had taken him quite a while until he had finally calmed down again. After a lot of talking with his parents he was eventually able to spend the rest of the day with them and the two cats in peace, his worries and problems pushed to the very back of his mind, even if just for a few hours.

\----

Minho went to his room after dinner, closely followed by Soonie and Doongie. He knew he wouldn't have a minute to himself; whenever he was home, they followed him wherever he went.

He smiled a bit and sat down on his bed, looking around his old room before finally checking his phone. He had missed messages from the others telling him he should say goodbye next time, but that they weren't mad about his abrupt departure. Chan had told them he had overslept and needed to catch the train. Minho shook his head. He was owing their leader so much by now.

Minho made himself more comfortable on his bed and decided to videophone him. Chan answered immediately.

"Hey, hyung.", Minho smiled. "You look tired... Are you still in the studio?"

"Yeah... we thought we could finish some things up here, but somehow it's not working out today...", Chan answered, turning away from the camera, distracted by something outside of Minho’s field of vision.

"What are you doing?", Chan asked, his eyes following the person off screen.

"Going home. We're obviously done here, right? Otherwise you wouldn't be on your phone now.", Minho heard Jisung reply testily.

"He didn't even have time to tell Minho we’re busy here, Jisung. And we wanted to take a break now, anyways.", Changbin got involved, trying to calm him down.

"I'm still not in the mood anymore, hyung."

Minho listened to them going back and forth for another minute until he could hear the door open and slam shut. Jisung was gone. He pressed Doongie a bit closer to himself, letting him rub his head on his own.

"I didn't want to interrupt you or make you stop working... I'm sorry...", Minho apologised.

Changbin stopped him with a wave of his hand before he could say anything else.

"It's okay. Like Chan said, the session wasn’t very productive, anyways. And he's been like that the whole day already.", the younger explained.

"Did something happen?" Minho had quite a good idea of what was going on, but he wasn’t sure if Changbin knew the true reason for his rushed departure.

"Except for the fight you two had this morning? I don't think so. He hasn't been talking to anyone today, really. Not even Chan! It's weird..."

"You heard it...?", Minho asked hesitantly.

"Jisung shouting at you? Minho, to be fair, I think everyone heard that."

"Oh..."

"I tried talking to him after you left.", Chan finally chimed in again. "He didn't want to. Told me it was none of my business."

"I think he talked to Woojin before we left.", Changbin said.

Chan looked surprised. "He did? About this? Did you hear anything?"

"Not really. It was about you guys, though. Something about jealousy, I think? Probably because Minho told you that he’s gay before anyone else? And that you're spending a lot of time together since the photos were leaked? They stopped talking when I walked in, though, so I don't know for sure...", Changbin shrugged but his eyes stayed fixated on Minho.

"Is... Is your cat licking your hair?", he asked and scooted closer to the phone.

Minho checked the small window on his screen and laughed. Soonie was indeed cleaning him by licking his hair thoroughly.

"Yes. He sometimes does that...", he smiled, reached over and scratched Soonie's head. "Sorry...You said he was jealous?"

"I said I don't know for sure, but it sounded like it. I mean, you and Jisung were always pretty close and always around each other. He's still pissed at you, but if I were him I'd be kind of jealous, too? If my best friend suddenly got closer to someone else and we're not really talking to each other anymore...", Changbin smiled a bit, looking like he knew more that he didn't want to tell them.

"I just hope things will calm down soon. It's difficult right now. Cause us others can't do anything and we don't want to be forced to pick sides. And I’m sure it won’t take long till the fans pick up on the fact that something is not right within the group..."

Chan nodded. "I hope so, too." He looked at Minho. "We all need to talk as soon as you're back. All of us, and especially you and Jisung. And this time I mean _talk_ , and not fight with each other."

Minho nodded in agreement. He knew the needed to solve this problem. And they needed to do it soon. 

He talked to them for a few more minutes, letting his cats say hello when they started to inspect his phone screen curiously, until it was time for Chan and Changbin to go home and time for him to go to bed. 

He hadn't realised how tired he really was. 

He was still worried about the things Changbin had told them, but for the first time in weeks he felt like he could actually rest; safely at home in his own bed, with both cats curled up against him.

\----

Minho was sitting downstairs with his parents eating breakfast the next morning. He hadn’t slept as well as he had hoped for. He had been laying awake more than once, petting the cats and thinking about his fight with Jisung and what Changbin had told them. 

Had his decision, choosing the easy way out and constructing an affair, been a mistake after all?

"Mom? Dad? I know we've talked about it a lot yesterday, but... what if I came out publicly...?", he eventually asked.

Both of his parents looked at him, stopping what they were doing.

"You want to come out?", his mother asked.

"I don't know. I've been thinking about what Jisung told me yesterday... or rather what he shouted at me..."

Mr. Lee looked to his wife, then back at his son.

"I don't think it is a good idea, Minho. You're an idol, and therefore always in the public eye. Your friends and family may accept you, but this society may not. You would make your life unnecessarily hard.", he explained.

"But don't we have to start somewhere? It's exactly like Jisung said, this could be the beginning of something bigger"

"Honey...", his mother took his hand. "Jisung is too young to know what he's talking about. Maybe your generation is more open-minded, but not everyone thinks like that, especially not the older generations. Wouldn't you risk your job?"

Minho shook his head.

"JYP said he would support me and the group if I came out publicly. My job would be safe..."

"Within the company. But what about your fans? The media?", his father added.

"Most of our fans support us. We got a lot of encouraging messages after the pictures were leaked. And the media... I don't know... They would always try to twist it to their own liking, anyways and... I'd have to hide who I am forever. I could never have a boyfriend. I could never be who I truly am... I could never truly be happy..."

He looked down at his tea mug, feeling his parents' worried looks on him.

"Minho... please think this through. Take your time. Don't feel like you have to do this now just because the boy you like said so. It's far more complex than you can imagine and it can do more harm than good.", Mrs. Lee said, brushing through her son's hair. "Please think about it thoroughly... okay?"

Minho nodded.

"I will..."

He knew his parents were right.

It wasn't going to be easy as an openly gay idol.

But it wasn't easy as a closeted idol, either.

"I'm finished with breakfast. Can I go? I think I want to go take a walk in the park. To calm my mind..."

"Take your phone with you and be careful okay?", his mother smiled at him.

He nodded and got up, quickly grabbing his wallet, phone and headphones before he left the house. 

The air was still a bit chilly, but it felt nice against his skin, cooling his body and thoughts down a little.

Minho quickly put on his cap, wrapped his scarf around himself and put on some music before he went on his way. 

He was walking around the park aimlessly, deeply lost in his thoughts, until he stopped eventually for a coffee to go and looked for an empty bench.

He sat down, sipping his coffee, while playing a game on his phone, enjoying the moment of rest he had to himself. 

He was so focused on the game, however, that he didn't realise someone had stopped right in front of him until until the small ‘game over’ alert flashed on his screen. 

He stopped the music and looked up expecting to meet the gaze of a fan who might have recognised him. 

Minho couldn't believe his eyes.

"Well... if this isn't the Lee Minho everyone's talking about."

Taewook.

His ex-boyfriend.

\----

When Minho got home again he was fuming with anger, throwing the door behind him shut, and kicking off his shoe, not really caring where they ended up in the entryway. "I'm back and I'm in my room!", he called into the living room where he suspected his parents and went up the stairs, already dialing Chan's number, his fingers trembling from the cold and rage alike.

"Hey Minho. Are you missing us so much that you're calling again already?", Chan joked when he answered the call.

"Chan, I'm going to do it."

"What?", Chan immediately grew serious, the smile vanishing from his face in concern. "Minho, you sound upset. What happened?"

"I'm coming back tomorrow. And I'm coming out publicly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bam bam bam
> 
> I really, REALLY hope there's no idol called Taewook. I looked up so many names and I just needed one. If there's an idol, actor or whatever with that name it's not that person OTL Taewook here is just a random dude being a dick OTL
> 
> Hope you liked that chapter!<3
> 
> (Fun fact: I'm uploading this while driving through the car wash lol)


	7. 6

The company had sent a car to pick Minho up at the train station as soon as he arrived back in Seoul. After their phone call Chan had immediately booked a meeting with JYP and their manager to discuss everything.

For Minho the hardest part was already over, though. 

Explaining everything to his parents and telling them that he would come out publicly was as hard as he had expected. They still didn't approve of it, but they understood and assured him that they would support him whatever the outcome might be.

Minho met Chan in the lobby of the company building and not even five minutes later they were sitting in a meeting room with JYP, their manager and his noona.

Minho got to the point straight away. 

"I want to come out. Publicly.", he said seriously, looking directly at JYP. He didn't seem to be surprised.

"What made you change your mind so suddenly?", he asked.

"The fight I had with Jisung, which opened my eyes. And my ex-boyfriend."

This time JYP was as baffled as well as everyone else in the room.

"Your ex-boyfriend?"

"Yes. I met him yesterday. I had a walk in the park when he saw me and we started talking. And it took every single fiber in my body to not punch him in the face."

His noona laughed softly. 

"I know this is serious but for a second I thought you were going to tell us you're back together."

Minho couldn't suppress a light chuckle. "No. That is never going to happen." He looked at JYP again. "It was him. He released the pictures a few weeks ago to harm me, the group and the company."

"Why would he do that?", Chan asked, voicing what everyone was thinking.

"Revenge? Jealousy? We broke up when it became clear that he wanted to become an idol and I a dancer. I became a back-up dancer for BTS and now I'm an idol. He left his company because apparently he wasn't good enough, and stopped trying altogether. He threatened to release more pictures, so I probably don't have another choice, anyways."

JYP nodded, while taking notes of what Minho had just told them.

"We can actually use that as an advantage here."

"Maybe we can.”, Minho agreed thoughtfully, “But it's still not the main reason why I want to go public with this. It's what Jisung said. Everyone here is going to support me. I don't have to fear that I'll lose my job. This is the biggest and only chance I have. I don't have to hide anymore. And... I can be happy from now on."

"It could also be the start of rethinking in this industry.", their manager added.

"It could be.”, Minho agreed. “But I don't expect it. And I want to do it for me. For my well-being. For my mental health. I don't care if the company is going to use it for self-promotion. This is something I need to do for myself."

"Changing the industry won't be as easy as this. But it will set an example. The youth nowadays is far more open-minded than the older generations, and Minho is by far not the only closeted idol in the industry.", JYP said while looking at Minho and Chan. "But I want you to know that this will be hard. For you, Minho, personally, but also for the group. People will have to get used to it and this will take time, and I'm sure the media will have a close eye on you and every single male you're going to interact with. When you come out the next months will be a real rest. I already told you that the company and I will continue to support you, Minho, and Stray Kids. With, like you already mentioned, the added bonus of self-promotion for being a LGBTQ-friendly company. But you have to be prepared for what is coming."

Minho looked at Chan and nodded. "We will be."

"Good. Now, there are several ways of how you can come out...", JYP started and then explained every single way and which one, in his opinion, would be the best one.

The press conference was then scheduled for the following week.

\----

Three hours later Minho entered the dorm with Chan.

"Did you tell them already?", he asked the leader.

"No. That's your job.", Chan smiled. "But I talked to Woojin about what Changbin told us yesterday and it seems that he was able to calm Jisung down again.", he explained before they entered the living room where the whole group was already waiting for them.

"Oh! Minho-hyung, you're back already?", Felix exclaimed in surprise, before hugging him. "We thought you were going to be away the whole week!"

Minho smiled a bit. "That was the plan. But as with every plan there were changes. I need to tell you guys something."

Felix sat down again.

"We're out to have a press conference next week.", Minho started.

"Please don't tell us you're leaving the group!", Jeongin interrupted him anxiously.

He shook his head. 

"No. I won't leave. I'm going to come out."

Everyone looked at him in surprise. 

"Really?", Hyunjin eventually asked after everyone seemed to have processed what this meant. Minho nodded again.

"What made you change your mind?", Woojin added.

Minho looked at Jisung.

"He did."

Jisung looked up in surprise. "Me?"

"Yes. With what you've told me two days ago. And what my ex-boyfriend told said to me yesterday."

"You met with your ex?", Hyunjin asked again.

"Not voluntarily. He found me when I was at the park.", Minho said and continued to explain what had happened the day before.

"So basically if you're not coming out he’ll release more photos.", Changbin concluded after Minho was done explaining.

"Yes, but that's secondary. Jisung was right with what he said... I don't want to have to hide forever, and I only have this one chance. And it will only be harder if I come out in a few years instead. I know a lot of people already don’t believe that I’m dating noona, and the rest has already been thinking of me as straight this whole time. It will only cause a lot more problems and trouble.", he said while standing up. He still needed to unpack. 

"And who knows... Maybe I can be with someone I like one day without having to hide it.", he smiled.

His smile instantly vanished when he heard Jisung scoff.

He felt the whole room tense up immediately. Not again.

"What?", Minho asked the rapper.

"Nothing.", Jisung answered dryly.

"Don't start that again, Jisung. Spit it out!", he demanded while maintaining eye contact. He was getting angry again. 

He was done dealing with Jisung's attitude, especially now that Woojin had actually managed to calm him down.

"Aren't you already hiding it?", Jisung said. He was standing, too, now, directly confronting Minho.

"Hiding what?"

"Someone you like?"

"Where did you get that from? I'm not hiding anything!"

Jisung shot a glance at Woojin, who looked away.

"I know you do, hyung. You like someone from the group, don't you?"

Minho looked at Chan. Had he told them?

The panicked expression on his face seemed to give his thoughts away.

"Chan didn't say anything. Woojin overheard you two talking about it.", Jisung clarified.

"Don't drag me into this, Jisung. I didn't tell you about it so you could bring it up against Minho.", the oldest said.

Minho watched Woojin. He seemed to feel uncomfortable.

"Did you hear everything, hyung? Do you know who it is?", Minho asked, his hands trembling with anxiety, but also getting more infuriated. Were they really doing this to him now? After all the back and forth they had been through? All the trouble he had tried to work past, trying to do the right thing.

Woojin shook his head. "No. I don't."

"But isn't it obvious? Who you like?", Jisung intervened again, his eyes narrowing as he looked over to their leader.

Minho followed his gaze.

"You think I like Chan?", he asked indignantly. He couldn't believe it.

Jisung just shrugged.

At that moment, Minho finally snapped.

"Jisung, you're the biggest idiot wandering on this earth!! It's not Chan!! It's YOU!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jisung's still an idiot here but how will he react now? 👀  
> That boy definitely needs a filter from brain to mouth (but I still love him and he'll forever be my bias uvu while the other eight continue to bias-wreck me xD)
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!❤


	8. 7

The whole room felt even more silent now than it had before.

Minho was still looking at Jisung, slowly realising what he had just said. He hadn't thought it through, he had never wanted to confess to him, especially not in front of the others.

"Fuck...", he muttered and looked away. He was sure he had ruined it now.

He shook his head sadly and turned away when Jisung was still not showing any reaction. He could still feel everyone's gaze on him as he left the room and headed to his shared bedroom.

Jisung still stood there on the other side of the room like he was glued to the spot. 

He would have expected anything, but not this. 

That it was _him_ Minho had fallen in love with.

Still _was_ in love with even though he had been such an ass in the last few weeks.

"You should go after him, Jisung.", Changbin eventually said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "This is your chance now."

"Yeah... Yeah you're right.", Jisung murmured, more to himself than to his bandmate, still a bit dumbfounded, before finally leaving room.

Hesitantly he knocked at the closed door. 

"Hyung? Can I come in?", he asked quietly, waiting for an answer. When none came he entered anyways, closing the door behind himself.

"Minho?"

"Hm?"

Jisung watched Minho unpack his belongings for a moment, not turning around to face him.

"You like me...?", he eventually managed to get over his lips, anxiously awaiting his reaction.

Minho froze, stopped distracting himself with his laundry, and finally looked at the younger.

"I'm sorry.. I won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable or... that could lead people to think there's more... just... don't hate me again okay...? Forget about it and... just please don't hate me...", he whispered, feeling like he would start to cry if he spoke any louder.

“No, I-...”, Jisung shook his head, not sure what to say. "Since when...?"

"Ever since the day I met you for the first time..."

"I... I had no idea..." 

Jisung couldn't believe it.

He would have never thought Minho had feelings for him, always thought he saw him only as one of his good friends.

"Minho... I'm so sorry-...!" Jisung closed the distance between them, taking Minho into his arms and hugging him tight. He felt the older boy shaking, yet clinging onto him for dear life.

"I'm so sorry I've been such an ass to you…! I know there's no excuse for it, I know I can't undo it or do anything to make you forgive me soon-", he choked out way too quickly. "You're so right! I'm the biggest idiot on this earth! When the photos were leaked and you came out and told us that Chan has known forever, I didn't understand why you hadn’t told me before, too. Because you're my best friend...! And because I love you, too-! And then you got so close to Chan, and I got so jealous because I've been crushing on you ever since the survival show, and I didn't know what to do and how to deal with my jealousy, so I told Changbin and he called me an idiot, too, and then I talked to Woojin, and I was so sure that you loved Chan-!", he finally stopped rambling, remembering to breathe again.

Minho had spaced out halfway through, his mind was still trying to process Jisung's words.

He looked at him, hoping he hadn’t misunderstood him.

"What did you just say...?"

"I...", Jisung blushed, realisation hitting him.

"I love you, too, Minho..."

Minho didn't want to hear more.

Didn't need to hear more.

He didn't need any more apologies or excuses.

This was enough for him.

He pressed Jisung closer to himself, kissing him gently. And when the younger returned the kiss without hesitating, it was absolute heaven.

Minho sighed contentedly, felt all the stress of the last weeks disappear, all the tension vanish.

This, here and now, was everything he had wanted and had ever needed.

\----

An hour later Minho lazily opened his eyes when there was a knock at the door and Chan entered the room.

"Hey.. thought I should be checking on you two...", he said after closing the door. "But it looks like everything is fine now?", he added with a smile.

"Yeah... it is...", Minho answered, snuggling up closer to Jisung. They had lied down on his bed after a while, cuddling, holding hands and talking about everything that had happened in the last weeks.

Jisung still felt sorry for how he had behaved towards him and Chan, for how jealous he had been and for how he had made everything so much harder for Minho.

Minho, on the other hand, had already forgiven him. The way things had played out hadn’t exactly been ideal, but they were here now, together, and that was all that mattered to him. He would be able to come out with the support of the company and his group; soon he could openly be who he was, without fearing the reaction of the media, without living in fear of someone trying to forcefully out him again against his will. And on top of that he could now call the love of his life his boyfriend. He was finally truly _happy_ ; happier than he had been the past years.

"I just don't know if and how we're going to tell JYP.", Minho said eventually, his hand thoughtfully wandering over Jisung’s back.

"Just tell him that you're a couple now?" Chan shrugged. "We've caused him so much work and trouble in the last few weeks, I think he'll just accept it and be happy that it will be over soon.", the leader laughed, sitting down next to them on the bed.

Minho and Jisung couldn't suppress their laughter either.

"Probably. He doesn't have to worry about dating rumours now.", Jisung chuckled while absently running his fingers through Minho's hair.

"And I don't have to be jealous anymore...speaking of which...", Jisung looked over to Chan, before averting his eyes, feeling incredibly guilty as he saw the soft, accepting expression on his face, "I'm sorry that I acted like that... and that I dragged you into this, hyung. I was childish..."

"Yeah. You were.”, Chan smiled gently ”But you're still a child. We all are. It's okay, Jisungie. Don’t worry about it too much!"

He patted Jisung on the shoulder, stood up again and started packing up his belongings.

"What are you doing?", Minho asked confused.

"Packing up."

"I can see that. But why?"

"Cause I'm switching dorms with Jisung!", Chan answered as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "I don't want to get in the way of you lovebirds."

\----

Minho helped Chan move the last few things to his new bedroom after dinner, while Jisung was bringing his into the other room. They had already told the others the big news over dinner. They didn't want to have any secrets anymore.

Minho could feel that everyone was less tense now, that the atmosphere had changed positively again. It was going to get better. They only had to overcome the press conference next week, which still worried him. 

"Channie-hyung... regarding the press conference. Can I ask you a favour?"

Chan nodded. "What is it?"

"I know you're supporting me, and our relationship... But I'm still so anxious about the coming out. Do you think you and the group can stay with me on the stage? Next to me? Or behind me? Somewhere near me so that I know that you're there...?"

The leader grew serious. 

"Minho, we'll always have your back. And we're always there. Of course we'll be on that stage with you. I said it before and I'm saying it again: we're a team. And we will do this together! We’ll be there, right behind you, supporting you!"

\----

"Are you ready?", Chan asked him.

"No.", Minho answered honestly, feeling panic crawling up his back right before they entered the stage for the press conference. He shook his head when he looked back at his leader.

"Perfect! Let's go then!" Chan patted him on the back and gently shoved him forward.

Minho took a deep breath, and walked onto the stage right behind JYP; his noona and the rest of Stray Kids following him closely.

He let the CEO do the introductions before it was his and noona's turn to deny their dating rumours.

"We want to apologise for the confusion of the last weeks and for leading anyone to believe we are dating.", Minho began, "We are not dating. We're just close friends."

They bowed.

"But I want to thank noona for being there for me for the last weeks. She became a very important person in my life and I'm really thankful to have her." Minho smiled at her before she took the word, thanking him too and apologising again for everything. He watched her step aside to leave the stage to them.

Minho became anxious again. 

He had put together everything he wanted to say but it was all gone now. 

He felt like running.

Until he felt a firm, reassuring hand on his lower back. Chan stood on his right, Jisung on his left and the group members right behind him. 

They were with him.

He could do it.

He smiled again.

"I also want to apologise for the photos of me and another boy that got leaked a while ago. And for deceiving everyone."

Minho paused and looked into the confused and speechless faces of the journalists in front of him.

"It took a lot of time, a lot of talking, convincing and fighting. But now, with the support of JYP and the company, with the support of my family and friends, and with the support of Stray Kids and Stays, I can finally say that these photos weren't faked. They were real."

He paused again and Jisung took his hand while the first cameras started to flash.

"And I can finally proudly announce that I am gay."

His heart was pounding like mad. 

There was no going back now. He had said it.

And he felt free.

He let JYP take the word, declaring to the press that he and the company would continue to support Minho as their idol, that he and the company were proud to support the LGBTQ community and hoped that they could start a change in the industry.

Chan joined him and explained that it wouldn't change anything for them as a group, and that everyone was proud of Minho, of the decision he had made about being honest and open about his sexuality, and of his courage.

Minho smiled listening to his leader before stepping forward again, having the last word.

"I'm thankful for all the support I'm getting from the company and my group members. Thanks to them I can finally be who I truly am, and be happy and content. I haven't felt this happy in a long time."

He looked at Chan and JYP before turning back to the journalists.

"I don't want to cause any more trouble or dating scandals in the future. So, before anyone can put out false rumours or starts to interpret more into my interactions with other male idols, I want to say...", he looked at Jisung, who was still holding his hand, and smiled at him happily, showing how much in love he was with the younger; a smile that he never would have thought he was able to show in public.

"I do have a boyfriend."

Jisung beamed at him and leaned over, kissing him softly on the lips, ignoring the camera flashes that followed.

Minho knew he was making headlines again. 

With a photo of him kissing his boyfriend.

But this time he wanted it to be exactly that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ever re-read this chapter please imagine Seungmin at the beginning doing the awkward silence caw caw caw because it's him and the S in Seungmin stands for Spawn of Satan. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.  
> (I love him, please don't take this wrong lol)
> 
> The last chapter!!!! I still can't believe that I actually finished this FF and that my gf put up with all my bullshit cause tbh she had to correct a lot cause my brain is stupid!
> 
> And we've come full circle! It started with a kiss and it ends with one ♥
> 
> A smol epilogue will follow at the end of the week (cause we're not completely done here!) and _maybe_ there will be something else 👀
> 
> In the meantime if ya wanna chat or whatever I have a [tumblr](http://smolsquirrelbeb.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading ♥
> 
>  
> 
> EDIT: My cutest girlfriend has written a BTS reaction of their former dancers coming out and Srsly it's so amazing you gotta read it! Click [HERE](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17756483) to read it and leave her some love, likes and comments ♡


	9. Epilogue

"Do you know what day it is today?"

Jisung smiled at Minho, while sitting down on his lap and making himself comfortable.

Minho put his book down and placed his arms around his boyfriend, curiously looking up at him. He had learned that there was no personal space in a relationship with Jisung pretty quickly. Not that he was complaining, though.

"I'm sure you're going to tell me in a second."

"You publicly came out a year ago! And we announced our relationship! How could you forget?!"

Minho looked at him with a dumbfounded expression and quickly checked his phone. 

He was right.

It had been a year already. 

Time was flying.

He leaned back into the arm chair and looked outside, gently caressing Jisung's back while his thoughts trailed off, with the younger resting his head against his shoulder.

The first few weeks after the press conference had been hard. Their sales had dropped and their public appearances lessened. Then, slowly but surely, everything started going back to normal for the most part.

There were still a lot of negative voices, people who tried to boycott not only him and Stray Kids, but other groups that had openly gay members as well.

However, more importantly, there was also change. Small changes, sometimes even unnoticed, but they were there.

More companies had announced their support of the LGBTQ community and their LGBTQ members. And more idols were coming out, following in his footsteps, gaining more and more love and support from their fanbases.

Minho smiled and kissed Jisung's hair. "We should go out for dinner to celebrate, then. Do you want to ask the others to join us?"

Jisung jumped to his feet. 

"Yes! I'm going to get everyone to the living room so we can discuss where to go!", he said and rushed out of the room.

Minho chuckled when he watched him run away, already dragging Felix along with him.

He turned to look out of the window again when Chan and Woojin’s reflections in the glass caught his eye.

They were sitting on the couch, Chan affectionately cuddling up to Woojin, holding both of his hands, talking quietly. 

Minho smiled happily to himself.

Maybe they weren't able to change the industry and the country completely, but their struggle had started a change and had made it easier for others to come out.

And that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done.  
> I still can't believe that I've finished it completely! And now I'm so sad that it's over :(
> 
> Thanks to every single one of you who read this, gave kudos and/or commented! I'd never thought that so many people would read this and react to it! Thanks for sticking with me to the end!
> 
> And especially a big thank you to my gf who beta-read everything uvu I love you uvu♥
> 
> Also if you wanna hang out, ask questions or just chat you'll find me on [tumblr](http://smolsquirrelbeb.tumblr.com/)
> 
> If you wanna know how WooChan got together, then [blessings wait for you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17784242/chapters/41959889) ♥


End file.
